As a child, Ganidiirsi Kivarru loved to read, anything and
everything, but especially real books, written on real paper, bound in
cloth and leather, smelling of vanilla and faraway exotic places, and
which took up space but lacked handy search and cataloging functions

Gani’s parents encouraged his love of reading. Dared and Pavi Kivarru
were a well-to-do couple living in a manicured, well-behaved arcology;
this allowed them to leave Gani largely to his own devices. Reading was
his constant escape from the humdrum of an advanced society that catered
to the every whim. A voracious reader, he was ever hungry for more
material. He bought electronic books by the exabyte and haunted old
bookstores, indulging his taste for the written word.

As he grew older, and his awareness of the universe extended beyond
the printed page, he discovered two things: one, that his parents were
the most notorious Syndicate leaders in the subsector. The Kivarrus made
their fortune by having their finger in many organized crime pies and by
dealing ruthlessly with their enemies. The other thing Gani discovered
was the ancient Terran art form known as comic books. While graphic
novels had survived into the 57th Century; several of its genres—notably
the superhero genre—didn’t. Real life already had stalwarts who could
leap tall buildings in a single bound (thanks to grav belts), lift
tremendous weights (via exoskeletons), and were perfect specimens of
humanity (due to genetic engineering).

Still, Gani was hooked. As he spent time chasing down and devouring
the tales of garishly-clad adventurers taking on criminals and madmen,
his reality became starker and less complex. And since his grip on
rationality had always been a little…loose…he became convinced that his
parents had to be stopped. By him.

The Kivarrus, through deft manipulation of the legal and political
apparatus and the elimination of witnesses and rivals, had managed to
evade punishment. Realizing that familial ties wouldn’t shield him from
repercussions, Gani adopted another identity: a mysterious, faceless
vigilante that could act with impunity; and quietly set about collecting
the equipment he needed.

A month later, The Starblazer broke up a minor gambling racket
connected to the Kivarrus, leaving the miscreants bound and waiting for
the local constabulary. The criminals easily made bail and disappeared,
but Gani wasn’t deterred. His parents were upset that someone dared
oppose them, and he secretly couldn’t be prouder.

Since then, he has broken several of the elder Kivarrus’ operations,
each time escaping unrevealed, although there have been close calls. The
Starblazer has drawn the attention of law enforcement—unfortunately,
it’s the attention of being wanted on several worlds on charges of
assault, vandalism, and breaking and entering, among others. He hasn’t
yet drawn Imperial attention. The Kivarrus have given him much
attention, however; they’ve put a Cr100,000 bounty on The Starblazer. So
far they haven’t deduced his secret identity, even while he does
noticeable damage to their criminal empire. They think one of their many
rivals is responsible.

Gani has an affinity for improving on gadgets, with a talent for
miniaturization. The plans for some of his kit would be worth a lot of
money to certain electronics companies, were he willing to share them.
Referees who wish to make the Starblazer even more capable are
encouraged to mimic super abilities through such tech as exoskeletons,
cloaking devices, etc.

Appearance

Gani is an average-looking Imperial Human, standing 177 centimeters
tall and massing 79 kilograms. His distant Vilani ancestry manifests
itself in a dusky complexion and light-colored hair. He dresses
stylishly but simply, and can usually be found with reading material.

As the Starblazer, he is of indeterminate build (due to the jack
armor), stands 188 centimeters (due to lifts in his boots) and masses 82
kilograms counting his equipment. The Starblazer armor is designed to be
noticed; Gani has painted it in a silver and blue pattern with a
stylized starburst on the chest and a short cape (chosen for style
rather than functionality.) The cape also hides his grav belt. His
helmet incorporates a psionic shield and night-vision goggles, and
features a reflective faceplate that hides his face.

Views and Outlook

Gani views the universe starkly. Others are either good or evil, with
little shading in between. He staunchly promotes good (while ironically
performing evil deeds in pursuit of that goal), and sees himself as a
friend to law enforcement. He is generous with friends and allies and
uncompromising to foes. He refuses to kill but has little problem with
beating criminals to within an inch of their life and dumping them
unceremoniously on the doorstep of the nearest police station.

He views his mission to bring down his parents and their evil
influence as sacred. The fact that there are criminals out there more
worthy of his attention is lost on him.

Weapons and Tactics

The Starblazer uses few weapons, and never firearms. He keeps a small
canister of tranq spray clipped to his belt for use in subduing
evildoers. For times when he needs an edge, he keeps a dose of Combat
Drug in a secret pocket. He has used other non-lethal weapons on prior
cases, such as bolas and lassoes, glue bombs, and stunners.

When on a “case” (as he calls his missions), Gani surreptitiously
gathers as much information as possible, and bases his plans on that
information. He also tries to use the environment to his advantage by
arranging traps and challenging foes at a time and place of his
choosing. When he enters action as the Starblazer, his favored tactic is
to swoop down on a group of opponents (hopefully by surprise), strike a
heroic pose and challenge the erstwhile adversaries to “cease and
desist, or feel the wrath of the Starblazer!” Unfortunately, this tactic
usually provokes more laughter than awe, but sometimes he uses the
laughing to get the drop on them. If he has to fight, he has learned
enough hand-to-hand combat to defend himself reasonably well.

Mostly, he is just lucky. His opponents by chance are usually far
less capable and intelligent. He has simply not yet run into a shrewd
and deadly opponent; and he manages to (unwittingly) stay one step ahead
of the bounty hunters chasing him.

Enemies and Allies

The Starblazer refuses to take on a partner or an apprentice,
although he has sometimes made short-term alliances to close a case.
Such allies are usually youths enamored of the brightly-clad do-gooder,
without thought that maybe his grip on reality isn’t all that tight. He
has spawned a few copycats, all of whom have been dealt with by law
enforcement.

His enemies, however, are legion. Chief among them are his own
parents, who would love to have the Starblazer’s head adorning the wall
of their study. They are currently funding several bounty hunters in an
attempt to catch the armored interloper, and the criminals he has put in
prison have all sworn undying revenge.

Playing Gani/the Starblazer

When playing Gani and his alter ego, the referee should be prepared
to assume a dual role: the unassuming, bookish Gani; and the
swashbuckling, confident superhero. Gani has become adept in playing
both parts; when he puts on the Starblazer armor, his whole personality
seems to change. The referee should make the players wonder if Gani (if
they discover who he is) has a multiple personality disorder.

The referee also has a choice in whether to play Gani for laughs or
in deadly earnest. As a source of humor, playing Gani similar to the
late ’60s television version of Batman hits close to the mark; an island
of prudishness and derring-do in a world that is twisted just slightly
askew and splashed with bright, primary colors. The noir version of Gani
might see him as actually suffering from multiple personalities,
constantly in danger of permanently submerging into his Starblazer
guise, and whose basic sense of morality slips farther away with every
case.